Looters Pose As Relief Workers, Rob Homes Devastated By Sandy

ibtimes: There are areas in Queens and Brooklyn, as well as New Jersey, that continue to be without electricity — and residents there have quickly learned not to take anything for granted while the lights are still out. Gangs of looters and other thugs have taken advantage of some vulnerable areas, and the victims aren’t standing pat any longer.

The New York Police Department and National Guard have provided security on street corners in the city, but arrests have been reported everywhere, perhaps an inevitability when an estimated 3.5 million people have lost power.

Meanwhile, there has reportedly been a slew of late-night break-ins by robbers dressed as Long Island Power Authority workers in the Rockaways section of Queens.

Walter Meyer, 37, told the New York Daily News how dangerous the normally safe area has become. “After sunset, everybody locks their doors,” Meyer said. “They’re trying to find whatever weapons they can find. Some people are even using bow[s] and arrows.Since World War II, the Rockaways area has on balance experienced an influx of lower-income families, which has led some people to accuse the Long Island Power Authority of favoring wealthier neighborhoods during the current recovery effort.